Insight

Pathways to decarbonising building operations

Research on the energy efficiency of the different components of buildings – their shell, built-in appliances, plug-in appliances, floor size and floor plan, as well as position on site – all have contributions to make to amount of energy consumed. When combined with renewable distributed generation and storage, the pathways to zero carbon or carbon neutral buildings can be mapped.

The need to rapidly transition to more sustainable low carbon built environments in Australia and internationally provides the basis for a maturation of the green economy. Its principal client will increasingly be cities, their industries and resident populations. Decarbonisation, dematerialisation and zero waste are core objectives.

Research identifies that home design needs to considers both energy efficiency and heat stress resistance. Currently, NatHERS only focuses on energy efficiency. If the building codes are not modified, then house designs which only focus on NatHERS could adversely impact people's...Read more

Transportation planners are often looking for efficiency in transportation but this article in Science Advances has also identified that resilience is an important city design feature. Planning for when disruptions occur can help to avoid city gridlock.Read more

Climate change is leading to an increased frequency and severity of heat waves. Spells of several consecutive days of unusually high temperatures have led to increased mortality rates for the more vulnerable in the community. The problem is compounded by the escalating energy costs and increasing peak electrical demand as people become more reliant on air conditioning.

Executive summary: Since the launch of the Green Star rating system in 2003, hundreds of buildings around Australia have been independently certified for their sustainable design and construction using Green Star rating tools.

Green schools are healthier, more productive places to learn.
Across Australia, most of our 9,500 schools and many of our tertiary institutions have been built to meet only minimum building code requirements. The result is facilities that are not necessarily designed to provide comfortable, productive or healthy work environments for students and teachers.